161: I will take you back!

Shen Chengfeng's voice had just fallen.

Before Lu Yi, the person involved, could even state his position.

"Fine!"

A slightly urgent shout rang out.

Li Xiu couldn't wait to yell it out. His eyes were burning as he stared fixedly at Lu Yi, his tone carrying a clear sense of provocation:

"Lu Yi! You wouldn't be afraid, would you? Three months! When the time comes, I'll let you know who is truly worthy of Yueyao!"

In his view, this duel three months from now was not only a battle to wash away his three-year reputation as "Trash," but also the perfect stage to prove his worth!

Facing Li Xiu's provocation that was practically shoved in his face, along with that "I'm weak but I'm confident" aura, Lu Yi merely gave a faint smile, not even bothering to lift an eyelid.

"Sure."

Lu Yi shrugged and agreed with incomparable crispness and readiness:

"Since someone is in such a hurry to shove their face forward for me to slap, if I didn't oblige, wouldn't that make me seem quite heartless?"

Looking at Li Xiu's self-assured look, as if victory were already in his grasp, Lu Yi's curiosity grew even stronger.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Lu Yi pondered secretly in his heart:

"Where exactly does this kid's confidence come from?"

Lu Yi licked his lips, his eyes playful:

"But since he's delivered himself to my doorstep, I naturally have no reason to refuse."

Seeing Lu Yi accept the challenge, and seeing that Young Master Gu didn't seem to have any intention of intervening in the specific details, Shen Chengfeng, sitting on the main seat, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hmph!"

He sneered in his heart:

"As long as the content, rules, and venue of the duel are decided by my Shen Family, then the result... won't it be whatever I want it to be?"

"No matter who wins or loses, as long as it maximizes the Shen Family's interests, everything is fine."

Afterward, to maintain his authority as the Head of the Family and to reprimand his disobedient daughter, Shen Chengfeng waved his hand and gave a cold command:

"Someone, take the Young Miss and this boy down to rest. Arrange for them to stay in the... West Wing guest rooms."

Hearing the words "West Wing guest rooms," the expressions of the Shen Family branch disciples present all shifted slightly.

That was a place specifically used to receive ordinary outside guests, extremely far from the Shen Family's core area.

Shen Yueyao had clearly returned to her own home, yet she was being arranged in guest rooms like an outsider.

This move wasn't very damaging, but it was highly insulting.

Looking at the familiar yet strange home around her and the cold clansmen, a wave of unspeakable sighs and chill rose in Shen Yueyao's heart.

"So... this place hasn't been my home for a long time."

She gave a miserable laugh in her heart, which caused her to completely give up hope.

At the same time, it further strengthened her determination to completely break free from the Family's control.

Night fell.

After being settled in, Lu Yi didn't feel like a stranger at all, leisurely starting to stroll around the courtyard of the guest rooms.

Shen Yueyao, who lived next door, was restless.

"This won't do..."

She paced back and forth in her room:

"Although Li Xiu is down and out now, he's no fool. Since he dared to set a three-month deadline in public and even dared to challenge Lu Yi, he must have some unknown trump card or reliance. If Lu Yi underestimates his enemy..."

To be safe, she decided to go find Lu Yi now to discuss a strategy and, while she was at it, probe Lu Yi's depths to see how much confidence he actually had.

However, as soon as Shen Yueyao pushed open her door, her path was blocked by a figure who had been waiting in the corridor for a long time.

"Yueyao..."

Clearly, Li Xiu had intentionally been waiting here all along.

He wanted to take advantage of Lu Yi's absence to win back Shen Yueyao's heart.

"It's so late, where are you going?"

Li Xiu took a step forward, his eyes so tender they were somewhat greasy. He then began to offer solicitous greetings on his own, immersed in his own script of deep affection.

Shen Yueyao listened with a furrowed brow, her heart filled only with infinite annoyance.

In her eyes, Li Xiu's current behavior was not only self-indulgent but also a suffocating form of harassment.

"Move! Get out of..."

Shen Yueyao said coldly.

Just as Shen Yueyao reached the end of her patience and was prepared to scold him or even use force to drive him away.

From the corner of her eye, she suddenly glimpsed a slender figure strolling leisurely at the other end of the corridor.

Lu Yi seemed to have come out for a walk.

"Lu Yi!"

Shen Yueyao's eyes instantly lit up, as if she had seen a savior.

Without any hesitation, Shen Yueyao completely ignored the still-babbling Li Xiu in front of her.

She shoved him aside and then, like a young swallow returning to its nest, lifted her skirt and ran toward Lu Yi.

"Brother Yi~"

That call was filled with countless twists and turns of affection.

Under Li Xiu's stunned and shocked gaze.

Shen Yueyao rushed directly in front of Lu Yi and grabbed his arm.

She even went as far as to make it look realistic so Li Xiu would completely give up hope.

She pressed half of her soft body against him and looked up, her eyes full of pleas for help and hints.

Receiving Shen Yueyao's look, Lu Yi instantly entered character.

He reached out smoothly and naturally, with a hint of dominance, and put his arm around Shen Yueyao's waist, which was so slender it seemed it might break.

He even mischievously gave the soft flesh of her waist a light squeeze, causing Shen Yueyao's body to tremble and her face to instantly turn beet red.

Lu Yi looked down at the beauty in his arms and said loudly in a doting and somewhat reproachful tone:

"Yaoyao, you miss me that much after being apart for just a moment? It's windy outside, be careful not to catch a cold."

After saying that, he acted as if he had only just noticed there was another person nearby.

He turned his head and glanced at Li Xiu from the corner of his eye, asking with feigned confusion:

"Eh? Why is there a fly buzzing around here? It's so noisy we can't even rest."

"You—!!"

Seeing the two of them showing such intimate affection in front of him.

Li Xiu felt as if his heart were being squeezed by a hand, hurting so much he couldn't breathe.

Although his reason was frantically telling him:

"This is fake! This is acting! She must have been bewitched!"

However, that intense visual impact and Lu Yi's verbal humiliation still made him tremble with rage, his face turning ashen.

Li Xiu stared fixedly at Lu Yi's hand on Shen Yueyao's waist.

In his eyes, a raging fire of jealousy and murderous intent burned.

"Huff... huff..."

He took several deep breaths before barely suppressing the urge to rush forward and fight for his life right then and there.

"Good... very good..."

Li Xiu's voice was hoarse, as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

He gave the two of them a cold look, finally resting his gaze on Shen Yueyao's face.

He left behind a harsh word:

"Yueyao, I know you're doing this on purpose to spite me. But... it doesn't matter..."

Li Xiu straightened his back, a flash of obsessive light in his eyes:

"I will prove to you who the true man of destiny is! Three months from now! In front of everyone, I will rightfully... win you back!!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve and turned to stride away.

That back view appeared both aloof and filled with a chilling obsession.